


Mother Nature

by leezha



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Enhanced!OC, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:47:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22431331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leezha/pseuds/leezha
Summary: Having the ability to talk to animals means owning a pet store is as easy as can be. How will an Avenger coming in for assistance with his service pup’s newfound (and expensive) chewing habit affect day to day life? Evie Thomas is certainly going to find out.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I am very aware my grammar skills aren't the greatest, but I try my best. This is the first fic I'm posting, so I'm not used to the formatting of AO3. Hopefully I'll get the hang of it.

It was a slow and rainy Monday, with only Ms. Harris coming in with her cat at 11 am. The cat seemed less than pleased to be taken out in the rain, voicing her discomfort with a long yowl.  
“Aww, Mittens is grumpy today, huh?” Evie asked as Ms. Harris placed the luxury cat carrier down on the counter. From inside, Mittens let out another displeased mewl as Evie opened the carrier and held out her hand. The black and white feline inside eagerly accepted, rubbing her face against her hand as her mood lightened.  
Picking the cat up, Evie turned toward Ms. Harris and asked her what she was in for. The elderly woman explained how Mittens had just seemed… down, recently. Furrowing her eyebrows, Evie looked down at the cat, looking her over. She definitely did seem off. Placing the cat on the counter, she looked into the cat’s eyes and silently asked what was wrong. An image of a cat food bag popped into her head, and Evie knew immediately what the issue was.  
“Hm… How’s her eating?” Evie asks, keeping her tone neutral. Ms. Harris bites her lip, seemingly ashamed. “I ran out of her favourite last Sunday while you were closed. I got a bag from the supermarket, but money’s tight right now and I can’t afford to waste it…” Giving the woman a reassuring smile, Evie rounds the counter, and pulls up Ms. Harris’s account. “Don’t worry Ms. Harris, I’ll give you a bag half off, alright? And it seems you have some store credit as well that will knock the total down even more.”  
“Oh thank you Evalyn, you really are too kind.” Ms. Harris exclaims as Evie heads toward the cat aisle. Grabbing the bag, the bell above the door rings. “I’ll be with you in a minute!” She hollers toward the front of the store. As she rings the bag up, Evie watches as Mittens refuses to get back into her carrier. Evie focused on Mittens, “If you get in your carrier, I’ll throw in a couple cans of your favourite wet food as a gift.” The cat turned to her and meowed, sauntering into her carrier. “I’ll never understand how you do that.” Ms. Harris sighed with a chuckle.  
“I told you Ms. Harris, I can talk to animals.” Evie winked at the older woman, who gave her a warm smile as she picked up the carrier. Pulling out two cans of wet food from beneath the counter that Evie kept there for just this reason, she placed them in Ms. Harris’ bag and handed it to her. “See you, Ms. Harris.”  
As Ms. Harris walked toward the door, large dog paws could be heard exploring in the toy section. Feeling Mittens tense up as a loud bark rang out, Evie focused her mind on the cat, sending a calming wave toward her. Making her way toward the source of the bark, Evie waves a final farewell to her most loyal customer.   
Turning the corner, Evie sees the culprit of the excited bark and a pair of blue eyes that she recognised immediately. A beautiful ash brown doberman/husky mix with a ‘P.T.S.D SERVICE DOG’ vest stared at her for a moment before nudging her owner’s thigh. A warm smile spread across her face as she felt the dog’s constant observation and adoration of her owner, who was facing a wall full of chew toys.  
Speaking of her owner, he clearly wasn’t comfortable being in public. Despite the rain, it was a warm August day, and the hoodie, baseball cap and leather gloves he was wearing simply didn’t fit the weather. Evie couldn’t help but tune into his emotions just a bit, which she recognised from the many veteran’s homes she volunteered at. “Is there something I can help you with?” She asks quietly as the man turns to face her. She noticed his eyes matched his pup’s, along with looking awfully familiar to her.  
“Uh yeah, Bambi’s trainer mentioned if he was ever out of town, you could help if I hit a snag with her behaviour… Her chewing habit has come back in full swing, and my uh… Landlord isn’t very happy with the furniture.” He rubbed the back of his neck with a nervous smile.  
“Chewin’ eh? Bam Bam I thought we kicked that habit to the curb!” Evie knelt down to face the pup, who wagged her tail at the nickname only a select few used for her. “May I pet her?” She asks, glancing up to the man who was slightly taken aback but nodded nonetheless.  
Scratching behind Bambi’s left ear, Evie looked her in the eyes. “What’s got you chewin’ again?” She asked, her voice taking on the slightest eerie tone that only enhanced ears could pick up. Immediately, Evie learned three things; why the man looked familiar, why Bambi was chewing furniture, and that Tony Stark staring exasperatedly at a destroyed couch that probably cost more than her rent was incredibly amusing.  
Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who thought so, as Bambi’s eyes went from Tony Stark and a ruined couch to a laughing man, who she now recognised as James Buchanan Barnes, best friend to Captain America, and newest Avenger if you didn’t count the ‘Spiderman: Apprenticing Avenger’ headline of last week’s New York Times. “No more chewin’ on furniture, Bam. Not good for you.”   
She took a deep breath, and let it out in a contemplative sigh. “I don’t even know where to begin, but I figured an introduction is a decent enough place. I’m Eva Lynn Thomas, I work with Jackson, and I was actually the one who started Bambi’s training- got her through her first chewing phase. Would you rather sit and talk? My office is in the back if you’d like to sit…” Her nerves were building, as she knew the perfect solution, but it’d require her to come clean about her… Abilities.  
“Uh, yeah sure. I’m James.” She gave him a warm smile, as she felt his anxiety rise as well. She motioned for him to follow, “let me put up my ‘on lunch’ sign. My cashier’s out today, so it’s just me and the animals. Just head right on back, when you see the enclosure with “Bubba” on it, my office is just past there.”  
With the sign changed and a very specific toy grabbed, she made her way toward the back, chuckling as James watched the large black and white lizard with awe. “What is he?” He asked.  
“A black and white argentine tegu. He’s harmless. A dog with scales, honestly.” James looked skeptical, but intrigued nonetheless as Evie opened her office door.  
Walking into her office, she greeted the animal she kept there- her bearded dragon Alan, who she comforted as he got concerned with his space being invaded. “Don’t mind Alan if he starts scratching at the glass, he just wants out.”  
James nodded, and after tearing his eyes away from the lizard, looked at Evie. “So you said you worked with Jackson?”  
“Yeah. As you probably know, all of Jackson’s dogs are from shelters. I was the one who found Bambi initially, but Jackson does the majority of the training, unless there’s a specific problem that a dog is having. Bambi’s issue was chewing- a nervous thing at first, but now I suspect it’s something a bit different…   
I’m more in the background of Jackson’s work for a very good reason, and there’s no easy way to explain it. I can sort of talk to animals. Sort of like telepathy on steroids.”   
Evie trailed off, biting her lip at the clear disbelief on James’ face. “I suppose an example would be appreciated…” She muttered, as she focused on Bambi’s mind. ‘Can you bark one, two, three times for me when I say ‘example’?” The dog’s excitement grew, which was a yes, so she spoke up again. “I asked Bambi to bark three times when I use a specific word, that word is ‘example’.” Three barks rang out in the small room, but the look of disbelief still remained.   
“The reason I chose to tell you, is because I know who you are. I saw Bambi’s memories, and what she was feeling when she chewed up Mr. Stark’s couch. Her chewing probably started up again as a relapse- maybe she got nervous one day. But when I asked why she was chewing, her main reason is because seeing Mr. Stark exasperated makes you happy, and she wants to make you happy, so she chews.”   
Evie knew she was rambling, but talking about her abilities was new to her. The only people that knew the extent of her abilities were Jackson and her family. She saw James’ expression change several times as she rambled, from confusion to panic to something she couldn’t quite name, and she couldn’t stop the panic and fear from overwhelming her. She knew she was slipping as Bambi whined, and James’ eyes widened again, causing an overwhelming sense of guilt to radiate off of her. She cursed to herself as she held her head in her hands.   
“Fuck, I’m sorry… I’m not used to talking about this…” Evie then remembered the toy she grabbed, and pulled it out of the bag she’d put it in. “Here, since a disgruntled Iron Man seems to be Bambi’s goal, this should help. I already reminded her she can’t chew furniture.” She pulled an Iron Man chew toy from the bag. The body was made from firm, chew resistant rubber and the limbs were red and gold rope. Bambi immediately recognised the arc reactor on the chest, and her tail wagged.  
“I’m sorry about slipping, James. You can have this on the house, it’s the least I can do.” Evie’s voice was quiet as she handed the toy to the man with a small, forced smile, keeping her eyes low. She felt exhausted, and ashamed. Stupid, for letting the wall she kept up slip enough to let the man feel her emotions. She knew the story of the Winter Soldier, and how he had no control over his mind for over half a century. She could feel how that tiny slip of control caused his panic to rise.  
The room was quiet for a moment, before he spoke up. “I’m sorry. For making you feel that way. I know how hard it is to feel scared about what you can do.” He gave a small smile, as he took the toy. “I feel like a real introduction is needed. Hi, I’m Bucky. Bucky Barnes,” he held out his free hand, and Evie froze. She expected him to walk out, disgusted or angry. She looked up, meeting his eyes with her own before shaking his hand. “Hello Bucky, I’m Evie Thomas.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It felt like hours passed as they sat and talked. Evie described her abilities in more detail, about how she could influence people if she really wanted or needed to. “Within the first week of moving to the city I was almost mugged. My abilities came in real handy, and I sort of convinced the dude to turn himself in… Wasn’t his first mugging.”  
She explained how she and Jackson knew each other, being childhood friends, and how she got involved with the biggest service dog trainer in the country. She talked about how her entire hometown thought she was a ‘pet psychic’ after her high school boyfriend spread the information around. “I sort of became famous in town. People would bring their pets to me, ask questions. I liked the idea of helping the animals, but no one really took any of what I said seriously, so nothing ever changed. Luckily it’s a small, rural town, and since I keep my name out of Jackson’s business I haven’t had any run-ins. If you google my name and town, though, a few articles from the local paper pop up.”  
Bucky talked about his experience with having Bambi, and how she was a sweetheart. Some stories about training lessons with Jackson to keep her in top shape. And of course her newly renewed chewing habit. The first thing she got a hold of was a pillow on the several thousand dollar couch Evie saw the memory of. “Tony just looked distraught despite replacing it within hours. Then the couch itself was destroyed…”  
By the time anyone checked the clock, two hours had indeed passed. Bucky felt guilty for keeping Evie from tending to her store, but she assured him it was fine. As he stands to leave, Bambi looks toward her with a quick tail wag, before looking up at Bucky with a quiet “ruff”. Evie smiled, as the dog eyed the toy in Bucky’s hand- she’d almost forgotten he’d been holding it the entire time. Bucky grinned down at her, “you wanna try your new toy real quick, Bam?” He asked, waving it in the air.  
The dog’s tail wagged, as her excitement grew. “May I throw it for her?” Evie nodded, as she watched. Bambi was after the toy as soon as it left Bucky’s hand, catching it in the air. Evie’s smile barely contained her joy, watching her and her owner interact. “You’ll have to come back and tell me about Stark’s reaction.” She laughed, as Bambi shook the toy.  
“I was thinking… Maybe you could come see for yourself? I mean, I know Stark would have a field day with your abilities- I know Wanda would love to talk to you, too.” Evie’s smile dropped a bit, and she could feel Bucky’s guilt and panic mixing with her own. “Or maybe not…”  
“I’m sorry… It’s just… I don’t know, I’m just scared, I guess.” Evie thought for a moment, “What’d you mean about Wanda?” She couldn’t help her curiosity, she knew a little about the Scarlet Witch’s abilities, but couldn’t recall anything involving telepathy or mind reading.  
“She’s telepathic as well. In a different way, I think, I don’t know much about powers.” This got Evie’s attention. Another telepathic? All she knew about the Scarlet Witch was what she’d read in articles- energy manipulation, was what it said. Taking a deep breath, Evie nodded. “Okay. Besides, it’d be nice to see Bambi in her home. Let me grab my jacket from upstairs and close up.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got over writer's block for this story

Bucky waited downstairs, looking at the different animals on display while Evie went upstairs to her apartment to grab a jacket and make sure everything was okay. His nerves kept creeping up on him, only to fall back every time Bambi pressed herself into his legs.  
Evie on the other hand, didn’t have the luxury of a trained service dog at the moment. “I wish Kaia was here,” she muttered under her breath as she put on her jacket. The loud meowing from behind her broke through her panicking, as a lanky black cat winded through her legs. She couldn’t help the smile on her face as she bent down to pick him up. “Thank you, Ollie,” her words were soft as she held the cat to her chest. “Kaia will be back soon. We really need to find another dog for Jackson, huh?” Ollie meows loudly, expressing his annoyance at having his favourite canine companion absent. “I know, buddy. I miss her too. I’m goin’ out for a bit, okay?”  
The cat’s mood soured slightly, as he wiggled his way out of Evie’s arms. “Tsk, don’t be like that, Oliver! I still have chicken feet in the freezer, you can have one when I get back as long as you behave. That means staying out of the paper towels.” The cat seemed to think it over before jumping up and stretching on the couch, letting out a yawn before closing his eyes. “That’s my boy. See you later, Ollie.”

The sight Evie was greeted with as she walked back down the stairs into her pet store amused her to no end. Bucky was seemingly having a conversation with Freddy, the African grey parrot. They each took turns saying a word, and the other repeated it back. Tuning into Freddy’s mind, Evie wasn’t surprised at just how entertained the bird was. “Freddy likes you.” She spoke as she walked toward them. Bucky turned around, a smile on his face.  
“He’s a better conversationalist than Sam is, that’s for sure. Might have to come up with a better insult than ‘birdbrain’ for him.” Evie chuckled with a nod, “Ah, Sam ‘The Falcon’ Wilson. Every falcon I’ve ever met has been an egotistical dick. They always… ‘talk’ for lack of a better word, like they’re yelling. ‘JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND ME HUMAN, DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE SUPERIOR. YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO SPOT PREY FROM AS FAR AWAY AS I.’”  
Bucky burst into laughter, “Wait is that actually how they sound?!” Evie nodded as she laughed along, “yeah. I wish I was lying, to be honest. I always liked birds of prey, but all wild birds of prey I’ve come across are like that. Working birds in falconry are more job oriented, but still have that ‘I’m better than you’ mentality unless they're particularly bonded with their trainer.”  
Bucky listened intently as Evie explained more about the birds. Suddenly, her face blushed a deep crimson, as she trailed off. “Sorry… I tend to ramble when talking about animals…” She looked down, missing the warmth in Bucky’s eyes as he assured her it was okay. “Are you ready to head out?” She asked, changing the topic.  
Nodding, he whistles to Bambi, who had been lying at the base of Freddy’s wooden perch. They headed toward the front, Evie quickly reminding the parrot to be good while she was gone. The bird chuckled and said a quick “love you!” as they neared the front door. “Love you too, Freddy,” she replied, unlocking the door and motioning for Bucky and Bambi to head out before locking the door behind her.  
The trio started down the busy sidewalk, trying to keep up with the constant flow of people. Evie did her best to tune out the emotions and thoughts of the crowd, but the more people there were the harder it was for her to not get lost in the sea of thoughts. “Evie?” Bucky sounded concerned, as she snapped back into focus. “Sorry, the more people there are the harder it gets for me to tune everything out,” she muttered as she took a deep breath. Bambi sensed her tension, and nudged her hand with her nose. “Thanks Bam,” she smiled, “usually when I go out, I take my own service dog, Kaia, with me, but she’s with Jackson currently.” She explained, giving Bucky a quick grin.  
With an understanding nod, Bucky looked like he was thinking for a moment, “Kaia’s your dog? She helped with a few training sessions with Bambi.”  
“Yeah, she's my girl. She helps the dogs transition from shelter life and transitioning out to homes. She's also basically the face of the business. Because of my abilities, I’m not the most… Comfortable in public, so Kaia’s a registered service dog for anxiety.”  
Turning the corner, the looming Avengers Tower reminded Evie on what she was doing. She was about to meet the most well known team of superheroes in the world- or at least, some of them. The familiar feeling of panic bubbled up in her chest. She felt her hands shaking, the wall she kept up slipped further and further as she felt the emotions and heard the thoughts of the people around her. “I can’t forget to get her a gift for our anniversary.” “Does my hair look okay today?” “That man looks really familiar…”  
Bucky could recognise an oncoming panic attack with his eyes closed. He heard Evie’s heart beating faster and faster as her breathing became more erratic. He fought with himself, but grabbed her hand. “Hey, it’s alright. If you aren’t comfortable you don’t have to do this.”  
Evie blinked a few times, breaking free from her panicked mind. She looked down at her hand in Bucky’s and took a deep breath. “I’m okay… I’m okay. I’m good. Thanks, Bucky,” she smiled up at him. Calming her breathing, she squeezed his hand. “You sure?” He questioned, as they came to a stop in front of a gated alleyway. She nodded confidently, taking another deep breath.  
“Well, if you’re sure… We’re here.” He turned toward the gate, looking into the camera facing the sidewalk. Unlocking with a quiet buzz, Bucky motioned for Evie to go first. “We’re goin’ in through the side entrance to avoid the main lobby.” He explained, walking to the side of the building and opening a door. There was an elevator right before the hallway turned, and Bucky pressed the ‘up’ button. “Hey FRIDAY, where’s Tony?”  
“Mr. Stark is in the living area with Captain Rogers, Sergeant Barnes.” Bucky nodded, thanking the AI. “Thank’s FRIDAY. This is Evie, by the way. She works with Jackson.”  
“Hello, Evie. I’m FRIDAY. Nice to meet you. Welcome to the Avengers Tower.” Evie looked to Bucky, who was grinning widely. He nodded, and Evie shrugged as the elevator dinged. “Hi FRIDAY. Nice to meet you too..?” Her voice was slightly unsure, but Bucky’s grin just grew. “That’s FRIDAY. She’s the one that runs pretty much everything in the building. She probably already told Stark of our arrival, since you’re a new person to the tower.”  
“Indeed, Sergeant Barnes. Mr. Stark and Captain Rogers are expecting you.” As they stepped into the elevator, Evie got an idea. Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she pointed to the bag Bucky was carrying, “can I see the toy?” As he handed her the toy, she knelt down next to Bambi. “May I take her vest off?” She asked, looking up to him. He nodded as he saw the renewed excitement in her eyes.  
Instead of using her mind to talk, she used her voice, which took on an almost ethereal tone to it, “Bam, when the elevator doors open can you run up to Tony to show him your new toy?” Bambi’s tail starts wagging as Evie gives her the toy. “What’d your voice do just now?” Bucky asked, just before the doors opened and Bambi took off around the corner.  
Laughter could be heard first, followed by a voice that Evie recognised from the many different videos she’d seen to be Tony Stark, “ooh that’s just rude.” Bucky and Evie laughed, as they walked toward the voices. “I’ll explain in a second.” She told him, as they rounded the corner.  
The sight before her both amused her and intimidated her. Bambi was laying on the floor, enjoying her new chew toy while Captain America chuckled, patting Stark’s back. “Wow, Tin Man. Just wow.” He tried to sound dejected, but Stark was fighting back laughter. Bucky held his hands up, but Evie spoke first. “Actually, that was my idea. Hi, I’m Evie. I can talk to animals.” She paused for a moment, “well, that’s a bit oversimplified. It’s sort of like telepathy on steroids. That’s how Jackson’s always described it.”  
“Wait, what?” Tony stuttered with disbelief. Evie thought for a moment, “I tend to avoid invading people’s minds, so I stick to animals. Most find it less invasive, more helpful. I can demonstrate with Bam Bam if you’d like?” As he nodded, Evie walked over to the dog, who was chewing on her new toy. Kneeling down, she spoke with the same ethereal voice as before. “Bambi, would you mind helping me with something?”   
The dog barked, as she stopped chewing and paid full attention to the woman in front of her. “Thank you!” She switched to using her telepathy, “okay, we really gotta wow him. Do you remember when you and Kaia would ‘dance’? Can you still do it?”  
Bambi barked happily, and stood up. She stood on her hind legs, and hopped in a circle. Evie laughed with a wide smile on her face. “You remember how to dance! Aw Bam Bam, Kaia’s gonna be so proud of you!” Bambi barked, her tail wagging as Evie scratched behind her ears, almost forgetting the three men watching her. “You could’ve just done a nonverbal command signal.” Tony spoke, only half committed to the sentence. Bucky and Steve rolled their eyes, both already convinced. Steve believed her the moment her voice sounded like two people were talking.  
Evie grinned, yet another mischievous glint in her eyes. “Bambi, do you have any memories of Tony where you’ve been alone with him?” Immediately, a playback of Tony Stark dancing to Material Girl while working on an Iron Man suit popped into her head. “Wow Mr. Stark… I wouldn’t have guessed you were a Madonna fan.” The two super soldiers laughed while Tony’s eyes widened. “Okay, fine, you can talk to animals. Bambi how dare you betray me like that.”  
“Hey, don’t blame her for your sins she was just the messenger.” Evie replied, petting the dog as Steve spoke up for the first time. “So you run the pet store around the corner, right? Bambi’s trainer mentioned it if he was ever out of town.” Standing, Evie nodded. “Yeah, Jackson’s a good friend of mine. He probably mentioned it because my dog Kaia and I helped Bambi through her transition from shelter to service dog and her nervous chewing habit.”  
“Does he know about your… Abilities?” Tony asked, “yeah. He’s the only other person outside of my family that knows the extent of them. He actually helped me figure them out when we were kids. I can feel the emotions of people and animals, hear thoughts. The typical telepathic thing. I can also… Influence people, I guess? It’s not exactly mind control, but close enough. The only time I used it on someone unwillingly was when I got mugged.”  
"'What about the ‘willing’ times?" Tony didn't waste a second asking her another question. "Only other time I've used it was when we were seventeen, I 'convinced' Jackson the sky was green. That's when I learned I could influence people. I didn't really use my abilities with people until he offered to help me with them." Tony pressed even more, "you two are close, then?" His tone hinted he meant closer than friends.  
Evie laughed, "you must've never met Jack." Bucky chuckled along with her. "Tony, you do know Jay isn't just his really good friend, right? For God's sake, we all had dinner with them!" Evie's laugh sounded like music to Bucky's ears. Wait, what?  
Shaking his head from that thought, he joked with Steve as Tony stammered to his defense. Evie decided to help the poor man,"they've never been big on PDA, so I suppose it can be hard to miss if you've only met him a few times." Tony pouted with a nod, "I only ever met him that one time…"   
"You know, we never introduced ourselves." Steve said suddenly, "I know you probably know this, but I'm Steve." He walked forward and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you Steve, I'm Evie." She replied.  
"Tony. Nice to meet you, I guess." Tony raised his hand with a wave. "Nice to meet you as well, Tony." The amusement was evident in her voice. "I would apologise for revealing your secret love for Madonna, but it was just too beautiful to feel sorry about."  
"Kind of wishing I could see memories right now." Steve joked, "I mean… I could show you." Evie shrugged.  
"Wait, you can show people memories?" Tony's interest was piqued at this information. "Yeah. I can share memories and feelings. Even physical sensations." Evie tried her best, but the more she relaxed the less control she had over what she sensed in the people around her. Tony had a glint of mischief in his eyes this time, "Don't you even think about it, Stark."  
"Oh, you're no fun. I do wanna see that in action, though. What better way than watching myself dance to Material Girl." Evie smirked, "you know, I never mentioned it was Material Girl."  
"That's the only Madonna song I listen to, a guilty pleasure, if you will." Shrugging, Evie replied, “That’s fair. That’s the only Madonna song I know.”   
"Steve, do you want to see it too? Bucky?" The two men looked at Stark, who had a death glare plastered on his face. The two soldiers shook their heads 'no'. Evie laughed, "Too bad,” she smirked. “This is going to feel a bit odd at first."   
Suddenly, a feeling Tony could only describe as a tickling in the back of his head started. The memory played back almost like a video in his brain. Seeing a memory from a dog’s perspective was nothing new to Evie, but Tony had never experienced something like it before. He quickly learned that the red of his Iron Man suit was more of a greenish hue. “You realise with your abilities you could put an end to the debate on what colours dogs can see, right?” He asked after the memory ‘playback’ stopped.  
“Yeah, but scientists pretty much have it figured out. The whole ‘dogs see in black and white’ debate isn’t too big anymore.” Tony took a moment and nodded, “I suppose you’re right. So when you look at an animal’s memory, you see exactly what they see?”  
Evie took a moment to think about her answer, “I can only see the memories of high intelligence animals. Mammals and birds, mainly- and cephalopods. Some reptiles included, but not all. With invertebrates and fish, I can really only tell if their health and environment is good.”  
“So, what colours do cats see?” Steve asked. “They’re similar to dogs- blue and green mainly, but more muted.” He nodded, seemingly satisfied.  
Evie sensed Wanda before she rounded the corner, a concerned look on her face and Vision’s who followed behind her. “I felt… I don’t know what it was- who’s she?” She sounded winded, like she ran here. Tony flinched, rubbing his forehead. “I didn’t even think… Sorry, Wanda. This is Evie, she’s enhanced like you. Telepathic.”  
Evie blushed, silently cursing herself, “Sorry… I'm Evie” she said, holding out her hand. Wanda sighed with relief, taking Evie’s hand in a shake, “no worries, I’m Wanda. And this is Vision. ”  
After listening to the two women talk for a few minutes about their abilities, Tony and Steve eventually left the room. As the two men left earshot, Stark spoke up, "Tin Man's gonna fall for her." Steve laughed, "yeah. He already has."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bucky sat and listened to the two women talk, asking a question here and there when his curiosity kicked in. Evie figured he was simply interested in abilities, and didn't think twice when his questions only involved her own. He lived and worked with Wanda, after all. Wanda however, knew he had never shown an interest in this area before. She couldn't help the knowing twinkle in her eye as she watched the two interact.  
Eventually, Evie’s phone interrupted the conversation. Her face fell slightly as she silenced the alarm. "Sorry, guys… Today's maintenance day for the animals- clean the cages, and all that." She tucked her phone into her pocket and stood up, "I really should head out, so I can get it all done before dinner time." Her heart panged at the disappointed expression on Bucky's face, "let me walk you down, at least."  
As the two stepped into the elevator, Evie pulled out her phone. "Want to put your contact info in my phone? In case you need help with Bam.." She asked with a shy grin. It took Bucky a moment to process her words, as he stumbled over his reply, "oh, yeah of course." He pulled out his phone and set up a new contact before handing it over, taking Evie’s to put his info in. .Sliding her phone back into her pocket just as the elevator doors opened, Evie smiled back at him with a wave, "see you, Bucky."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been working on this chapter for a loong while- and it's 8 of the 16 pages of my google doc, so it's quite a bit longer than the previous chapters. I've grown quite fond of Evie, and her story. I hope to get the next chapter out sooner than I got this one out.

Halfway through her cleaning routine, Evie’s phone rang. Jackson's special ringtone filled her ears as she pulled the phone from her pocket. A bright smile filled her face as she answered, hearing the playful bark of Kaia in the background. "Hey Jack, how's the training going? Any good candidates to take over for Kaia, yet?"  
"Actually, yes! I wasn't sure about this group of pups at first- Don't get me wrong they're all going to be good service dogs, but we both know it takes a special type of dog to do Kaia's job. One boy in particular took a shining to Kaia right away, and the more they interacted… It's amazing. Here, look."  
Turning on FaceTime, she watched as Kaia played with what looked like a pit/shepherd mix. Unfortunately her powers weren't strong enough to work well over the phone, but she didn't need them to see why Jackson thought the way he did. The two dogs were playing fetch. With each other. From the scars visible on the younger dog, she understood exactly why he picked him.   
Kaia was the 'spokesperson' for Jackson's business. Taking shelter dogs in and training them as service dogs of all kinds. Older dogs were trained as therapy dogs for hospitals, and younger pups for more challenging service dog jobs. Kaia was missing part of an ear, and her tail had been broken and healed bent. She was the face of the company, but that meant a lot of time away from Evie. The two of them had been searching for a replacement as Jackson's business grew.  
"He's perfect." Evie couldn't hold back the smile as Kaia heard her voice. The white and cream speckled mutt bounded toward Jackson as he knelt down so she could see the screen. Evie might not be able to discreetly use her powers, but she could use them vocally for animals to understand. While only enhanced hearing could hear it in person, electronics could pick it up.  
"Hey, sweetie! I miss you!" Her voice cracked as Jackson spoke, "we're getting on the train home tomorrow morning. We should be home by noon." Evie nearly squealed in delight, "aw Kai, you'll be home tomorrow! Now go play will your new friend, okay?" The dog barked happily and bounded off again.   
"So, what's his name?" Evie asked, her voice returning to normal. "His name's Bear. He's a good boy." The two talked a while longer about the business before the topic switched. Evie felt her face redden a bit as she spoke, "so… Bambi's new owner came into the shop today..." Jackson's grin could only be classified as shit eating, as he dug for more information, "oh really? How'd that go?"   
Rolling her eyes, she groaned at his laughter. "It was… Nice. He didn't want to reveal who he was at first, which is understandable, but Bam Bam's chewing came back, so I looked at her memories. She basically had a slip up on a pillow, and when she saw how amused Bucky got at Tony's reaction, she upped the destruction with the couch."  
"You two hit it off as well as I bet Sam you would?" If there was one thing Jackson lacked, it was subtlety.  
"Jackson Nichols, you did not! Sam wasn’t there so I wouldn't know his opinion on it all. Though I'm pretty sure Steve and Tony were discussing it as they left the little common area in the tower… Wanda and I talked for a while and they grew bored, I think. Steve laughed and sent off a surge of… I don't know how to describe it, but I know what it felt like. Even dampening my abilities, surges of emotions like that are hard to ignore."  
"Well, how did Bucky feel?" She rolled her eyes again. "He was nervous when I first told him, but he warmed up after we talked for a while in my office. I can see why Bambi picked him." Evie felt her face warm a bit again, but luckily Jackson pretended not to notice. “Yeah, I didn’t expect that pairing, to be honest. When I first met him I was certain that Dexter would’ve been the perfect fit. Had him in the yard with a couple other dogs, but Bambi ran right up to Bucky and the two hit it off.”  
Evie thought about it for a moment, “I can see why she took a liking to him. Dex is a good dog, but he’s more task oriented, you know? He’d be a good fit, but I don’t know if the connection would’ve been the same.” Jackson nodded, “yeah, you’re right. Bambi was behind on her training, but as soon as she picked Bucky she finished up her work with Kaia in about two sessions, and it only took two more for Bucky and Bambi to get their partnership figured out.” Smiling, Evie begins to respond when her phone alerts her to an incoming call. She tells Jackson to hold on, keeping the name of the incoming caller to herself. "Hello?" She answers.   
"Hey, it's Bucky…" He sounded nervous as she responded, "hey Bucky, everything okay with Bambi?"   
"Yeah, she really likes her new toy. But uh, Tony wanted me to call and invite you for pizza night tomorrow… Natasha and Sam are coming back after a successful mission, and it's tradition we all have pizza night… Pretty sure Tony just wants to ask you more questions, so if you don't want to I understand."  
Evie is almost certain the super soldier can hear the pounding of her heart as she replies, "Kaia is coming home tomorrow, so as long as she gets an invite and it's after noon, I'd love to."  
Bucky sighed with what she assumed was relief, “yeah, we usually eat around 5 or so.” Evie bit her lip with a smile, “perfect, Kaia and I will be there!” The two said somewhat awkward goodbyes and as Jackson reappeared on her phone, he took in his red-faced best friend for a moment. “Oh yeah, Sam’s gonna owe me a Ben Franklin.” Evie groaned, “I gotta get back to the animals, I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Evie woke the next day to a very upset ball of black fur. She tuned into her cat’s mind, and realised quickly what she’d done to hurt his feelings. “Oh, I’m sorry Ollie…. I was distracted yesterday and completely forgot. You can have two chicken feet with breakfast, okay?” She mumbled once she woke up enough to trigger her abilities. Checking the time, she quickly picked up the pace of her morning routine. She’d slept in about a half hour, and while she planned to keep the store closed today, she still needed to do a check-in on everyone before she left for the train station.  
She quickly got dressed and threw her hair up into a ponytail, and made her way to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee and get Oliver’s breakfast prepared. “Here ya go, buddy. Sorry I forgot.” The lanky cat meows loudly, one last protest before he ate his breakfast.   
Evie breezed through her morning routine, opening Freddy’s cage doors, and letting Bubba out for his morning walk around the store. “I know you wanna go to the park, but it’s still rainy. Promise as soon as the weather clears we’ll go, okay?” She told the large lizard, who responded with a single tongue flick. “As soon as I’m done with morning check-up, I have to head to the train station to wait for Jackson and Kaia, so your morning walk is gonna be a little short today.” The large lizard was easily her most cooperative and laidback animal, as he made it known he understood. While most reptiles could only feel a sense of safety and trust, more intelligent species, mainly some monitor lizards and tegus, could feel a sense of attachment to their owners or caretakers, similar to dogs.  
After Bubba had his fill of exercise, he made his way into his enclosure and Freddy took one last fly around the store before Evie closed his cage doors and made her way outside to where her uber was waiting. The trip to the train station felt longer than it was as Evie’s excitement grew. A text from Jackson told her they’d arrived ahead of schedule, and Evie couldn’t help but bolt from the car. She quickly used her abilities to search for the familiar presences of her beloved Kaia and closest friends, Jackson and Jay.  
She followed the pull she felt from them through the crowded station, and finally spotted them. Kaia noticed her first, having learned to sense her person’s special trait back to her. A sharp bark rang out, startling a few unsuspecting bystanders. Once they saw the woman rushing toward the dog with a “service dog” vest, a few stopped to watch what seemed to be a reunion.  
Falling to her knees in front of them, Kaia gave her human kisses as Evie focused on her dog’s thoughts. “Kaia I missed you so much!! I heard you made a new friend!” Giving an excited bark, Kaia turned toward Jay, who had ahold of her new friend’s leash. Evie watched as the two pups interacted. Bear was certainly a beautiful, but unique dog. Perfect to take Kaia’s spot as ambassador of Jackson’s business. His coat was similar to a medium haired German shepherd, but his proportions were more pit bull. Evie didn’t dare risk greeting the dog with her abilities outloud, or even at all until they were in a more private setting. The reaction animals have to meeting a human who can understand them was never guaranteed to be smooth.  
“Let’s head to the kennels, eh? Get Bear settled in. The other dogs are coming in on the truck, I assume?” Evie asked as the group started walking toward the parking area. “Yeah, Katy and Joanne are bringin’ em. Should get in before dinner. Wanted to get Kaia back to you as soon as I could.” Evie smiled giving Jackson a quick side hug. “Thanks. I unfortunately won’t be there to greet the group, but I’ll definitely stop by tomorrow sometime… Uh… Bucky invited me to the team’s pizza night… He said Sam and Natasha are coming back after their mission.” Evie spoke quietly, hoping Jackson’s response wasn’t as over the top as she was expecting.  
“Ooh, hear that Jay? We’re one step closer to bein’ 100 dollars richer!” Jay chuckled, rolling his eyes, “leave the poor girl to swoon in peace, babe.” Evie groaned, but the smile on her face assured them she wasn’t upset, “I cannot stand you two! I just met the man, I am not swooning!” Her defence was weak, considering the crimson colour forming on her cheeks.   
The group made it back to the kennels and Evie finally introduced herself to Bear after Jay went back home. “Hello, Bear. I’m Evie.” Her words were soothing, and the dog looked at her curiously. She felt the confusion and questions he had, and tried to answer them to the best of her ability. “I'm just Evie. I can just… Understand you, and you can understand me.”  
After introductions, and explaining to the dog how special he was, and explained that Jackson wasn’t able to communicate with him the same way, but wasn’t clueless either, she was shooed away by the man. “It’s almost 4pm, Ev. You still have to call a car to take you home.”  
Evie’s cheeks reddened as she remembered her plans for the evening, “oh, I almost forgot…” She said goodbye to Bear, and out of habit, made sure none of the other dogs in the building needed anything while she waited for her driver to arrive. Kaia followed her, greeting the other dogs with her human.  
The ding told her that her car had arrived, so she said goodbye to Jackson and Bear one last time before heading out. The ride home was quick, but her nerves were slowly building up inside her. She didn’t even know how she should enter the building. Did the reception area of the tower know she was coming? She knew she was overthinking, but Kaia had gone upstairs to greet Oliver, who was very excited to have his favourite bed back.  
As Evie checked on all the animals in her shop, she heard Kaia make her way downstairs. The pup immediately went to work, pressing herself into Evie as the oncoming panic attack started pulling her down. She pressed her nose into her human’s hand, and whined. Evie reassured her that she was fine, just nervous, when a tap on the front window broke her from her thoughts. Freddy recognised the person responsible first, “James Bucky!”  
Bucky heard the bird through the window and chuckled, as Evie hurried over to unlock the door. Kaia was excited, her eyes locked onto the blue eyed dog. Evie felt the recognition in Bambi’s mind, as her tail started wagging the same speed as Kaia’s.  
She couldn’t help the smile that beamed as the two dogs rushed to each other as soon as the door was open enough. It had been several months since Bambi last needed Kaia’s assistance during training, and it was clear the two missed each other. Evie couldn’t help but mutter her thoughts as she felt the comfort and happiness of the two pups, “I always knew that they got along well, but I didn’t realise how bonded they became…” Her voice took on the ethereal tone again as she bent down, “I’m sorry Kai… Why didn’t you tell me you liked Bam Bam so much?” Bucky watched in quiet awe as the speckled mutt turned her full attention to her owner and bowed her head.  
The thought that came from Kaia took Evie by surprise with just how intricate it was. Jackson flashed in her mind, then the logo, then Bucky and Bambi together followed by flashes of panic attacks Kaia had helped avoid. Evie stared in silence for a moment, before nodding. Bucky couldn’t help his curiosity and spoke softly, “what’d she… say?”  
“She… She basically said she knew Bambi had a job like hers now. And that it was important...” Evie shook her head, clearing her mind in sudden embarrassment, “I’m sorry… I was just about to head over after I finished the daily welfare check.” She smiled sheepishly as a subtle pink took over her cheeks.  
“No, don’t worry about it… I kinda showed up unannounced anyway…” Bucky said with a slightly awkward laugh. Evie smiled, “I’m actually glad you did. I was… A tad bit nervous.”  
Bucky looked at her with an eyebrow raised, and a smile on his face, “nervous?”  
“I mean, it's not every day you're invited to pizza night at a high security building for superheroes, Bucky. I own a pet shop. I wasn't even sure where to go in.” Evie explained, a lighthearted smile on her face, but a tinge of anxiety in her tone.  
“Okay… When you put it like that, I can understand nervousness. But I promise you'll be fine. Tony put you on FRIDAY’s Residential Access list, same as Jackson. You're cleared to enter through the side gate, and at the Reception desk… Probably should've told you that when I called, sorry…” Bucky rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, and Evie couldn't deny the warmth she felt in her chest at the sight. She was going to kill Jackson. And Sam, probably.   
Now that she was thinking about it, she wasn't sure what the bet actually was. Jackson hadn't told her the details, just that he won, and it was about Evie and Bucky ‘hitting it off’.   
She sighed, turning her attention back to the super soldier in front of her, “don't worry about it, Bucky. I was over thinking, even if you had told me, I still would've been nervous.” She gave him a warm smile, as she held the door for the two pups and locked the door behind her before they set off for the tower.

~~~~~~~~

The walk to the side entrance was swift, and Evie’s anxiety only started flickering to life once the elevator started its incline. She followed Bucky's lead, unclipping Kaia’s leash and tucking it in her bag. “Stay by my side until dismissed, okay?” She told the pup in her head. She knew Kaia already knew to stay by her side, but voicing it, even only by thought, comforted her.  
The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. They could hear lively conversation from the seating area. Bucky looked to Evie, finding her hand and giving it a soft squeeze to break the glazed look in her eyes, “you alright, Evie?”  
“Yeah, sorry… Jack just told me about a… conversation he and Sam had. Nothing bad, just a very Jackson conversation. I'm fine, really. Just over thinking.” Bucky had to admit that had him curious, but he didn't pry and let go of her hand, and the two of them and their pups joined the rest of the Avengers.

Steve greeted them first, followed by Sam standing from the couch, to finally meet the woman he and Jackson had both been confident would quickly become a regular face around the Tower. “It's great to finally meet you! I'm Sam. Jack’s told me a little about you- obviously not everything, with what Tony’s told me,” Sam shook Evie’s hand, a warm smile on his face.  
“Yeah… I wasn't really planning on spilling my secret so quickly, but it was the easiest way to save Stark’s precious furniture.” She joked, earning a few laughs. Sam watched Bucky’s eyes, kept focused on Evie’s face, and knew he owed his friend $100.  
“Hey, I'm Natasha. It's nice to meet you.” Evie turned her attention to the woman sitting next to Wanda, and walked over to shake her hand as well. “Likewise, I'm Evie.” She smiled.  
After the introductions were out of the way, conversation flowed easily between them. Most of the team had questions for the young woman, which she tried to answer as best as she could, and she and Sam talked about Jackson and his business, and he posed the question, “why don't you include yourself with the clients?”  
“I'm honestly just not that much of a people person. And when people are being paired with their dogs, it can be a very emotional experience for them, and it'd be easier for something to go horribly wrong. Even if it's your own emotions being sort of… Reflected back to you, it can feel very… Troubling. Even more so if it's not your own emotions...” Evie trailed off, after making eye contact with Bucky and remembering her foolish slip up.  
“That's understandable. In any case, I really am glad to finally meet you. Jackson talks highly about you,” Sam said with a grin, bordering on a smirk.   
Evie chuckled, “I'm sure he does. I'd bet on it, in fact. We've been nearly inseparable since we were kids.”  
Evie was amused by the slight falter in Sam’s smile and the slight wave of ‘oh shit’ panic that wafted off of him. She sent him a tiny cloud of reassurance that she wasn't really upset.  
“What does it feel like?” Natasha asked, curiously. Thinking for a moment, Evie shrugged. “Well, it depends… In that particular situation, it'd be like a wave of emotion- presumably positive, in this scenario… I could… Demonstrate, if you’d all like…?” She asked, tentatively.  
Natasha nodded, with a lighthearted shrug- she knew what she'd triggered when she asked. Tony agreed enthusiastically, but Evie was really only concerned with Bucky’s reaction. He gave her the smallest nod and a smile. Sam noticed the small exchange, and shared a knowing look with Steve which didn't escape Evie. It took a lot out of her not to send the two men a quick, “y'all aren't subtle”.  
Evie didn't bother to explain anymore after she got nods of agreement from everyone, and just closed her eyes and focused. She focused on how she felt when she met Kaia at the train station, and lowered the wall enough to feel the emotion in the air around her, washing over the room.  
When she opened her eyes, even Natasha was smiling. “That's how I felt when Kaia came home from working with Jackson to find her replacement as company mascot.” Evie explained, putting words behind the feeling.  
“Wow… That's amazing.” Steve said, true amazement in his voice.“It's nothing… Really.” Evie said, with a chuckle. It really was nothing for her. She was very relieved when FRIDAY announced the pizza was coming up the elevator with an intern and the attention was off of her.

The team took the time to get to know Evie outside of just her powers while they ate. Natasha asked about where she grew up, Sam asked a plethora of questions about her and Jackson’s business again, and about her choice to stay an invisible partner. Wanda asked her about animals, and how they thought. Tony asked about her pet store- by the time everyone had eaten, Evie had to admit, she was exhausted.  
Answering questions about herself- letting other people get to know her- wasn't something she was used to. Adding on to the fact she was talking about her abilities and life to the Avengers, it didn't help her anxiety.   
Bucky noticed immediately when Kaia perked her head up from where she and Bambi were playing and made her way over to sit at Evie’s feet. He was sitting next to her, much to Sam and Steve's amusement, and tapped her arm gently to get her attention- she'd zoned out a bit, it seemed.   
“Are you alright?” He asked quietly, almost in a whisper.  
Evie tore herself from Kaia’s reassurance, “Hm? Oh, yes. Sorry… I'm just not exactly used to talking about myself so much.” She admitted after a moment. She could've lied, saying Kaia asked to go home, or something along those lines as to why she'd seemingly got lost in conversation only she could hear. However, she did that so often, it was nice not to have to with the people she found herself in company with.  
She wasn't exactly… Panicked, but she knew the onset of an anxiety attack. Suddenly everything seemed so fast, and new. Change was never something she was great with, and where she was and who she was with came crashing in on her. So suddenly, she'd ventured outside her little bubble, and it scared her.  
What scared her even more, was the fact she wanted to feel Bucky’s reassuring hand in hers again. She wanted to turn to him for comfort, despite barely knowing the man. She was doomed, and she knew it. She was suddenly less forgiving of her closest friend and the Falcon.  
“I'm sorry… I think I'm going to head out…” She muttered, standing from the table where they'd been talking. She fought the urge to run from the people she was so very aware of, as the walls in her mind shook dangerously.  
Suddenly, she felt a cool hand on hers, and two wet noses pressing into the other, “let Bam and I walk you down?” Bucky's voice suddenly had her full attention, despite hearing the muffled farewells and understanding words from the rest of the Avengers. “Okay.”  
The walk to the elevator was quiet, as Evie tried desperately to gain control over her mind. A good many hours had passed, she'd realised, as she glanced out one of the many windows of the tower into the night. Bucky didn't seem to mind her silence, and remained a warm reassurance at her side, along with Kaia. She noticed Bambi followed behind both her and Bucky, concerned for her, but keeping an eye on her Person as well.  
“I really am sorry, Bucky… I just… It all became so much all of a sudden. I don't really do much outside of my bubble…” Evie muttered, glassy eyed, once the elevator doors closed. Bucky didn't reply at first, thinking it seemed.   
Finally, as they reached the back door, he spoke. “Evie, you have nothing to be sorry about.” He gave her a reassuring smile, and seemed to debate something, before grabbing her hand again and giving it a gentle squeeze, rubbing light circles into her palm. “I was thinking, since you came back yesterday and today… maybe you could… I don't know…”  
“James Buchanan Barnes, are you asking me out?” Evie asked, her eyes wide and a grin on her face. Bucky’s face flushed a deep crimson, as he rubbed the back of his neck. He stumbled over his words, before Evie cut him off by gently grabbing one of his hands. She sensed a running theme, for the two of them.  
“You know, Jack and Sam bet on how well we would hit it off. And I am positive Steve and Tony were privy to it… That's what I was overthinking about… I would love to do something with you, Bucky. Maybe… Friday? It's supposed to be a beautiful day.”  
Bucky released his held breath with a relieved chuckle, and shook his head. “I might kill him.” He said, in reference to his feathered friend.   
Evie laughed, “Honestly, I should've expected it. Jack's been making bets on the personal lives of his loved ones since middle school.”  
The two had suddenly found themselves outside of Evie's shop. Bucky hadn't intended to walk her home, it just happened. Suddenly, he felt like a deer in headlights, as Evie placed a feather light kiss on his cheek, “goodnight, Bucky. I'll call you once I get a sense of where I want to take you… I have a busy rest of the week at the kennels, if I want to take Friday off.”  
She gave him a playful smirk, with a mischievous glint in her eye, before bending down to bid Bambi a farewell. “Goodnight, Evie… Thank you, by the way. For stepping out of your comfort zone yesterday. I'm looking forward to… Whatever it is you plan for Friday.”

It took a lot out of Evie not to call Jackson then and there, but she knew he'd be exhausted from unloading the new lot of pups. After double checking the schedule- both of her current mployees had gotten ill from bad takeout around the corner- she texted Jackson that she'd be coming to the kennels tomorrow.   
Usually, she did that on Thursdays and Fridays. Evie’s shop wasn't very large, and was really more of a passion project- being Jackson's business partner paid a good, livable wage. Especially after official funding from Stark Industries. Sam’s doing, mostly.  
Now, her shop wasn't failing, it was just more of a specialty shop, with varied hours quite normal for her loyal customers. Considering she was the go to exotic pet shop in the city, she was more than capable of staying afloat with the few employees she managed.  
After a final welfare check on her beloved animals, Evie and Kaia made their way upstairs. Ollie quickly emerged from the shadows, and meowed loudly at his canine friend. “Go ahead and catch up with Ollie, Kai. I'll leave the door cracked for you two.” Evie told them, as the two animals played together a bit.  
A long, hot shower was the only thing on her mind- well, that wasn't entirely true. Evie had many things on her mind. Mainly, of course, was the blue eyed super soldier with the calm and cooling arm.

For her entire life, Evie wasn't a fan of being touched. Her powers made sure of that, causing a… Rough, and scary childhood until she could get control of it. Even now, there was a jolt of emotion whenever she made contact with another person. Clothing dampened it, but never stopped it. She had learned how to block it, to an extent; make it so she didn't understand whatever emotion it was. It helped, but it drained her.  
So, when Bucky shook her hand with his metal one, while his flesh one held the silly little Iron Man chew toy, she was pleasantly surprised when she didn't have to put up that mental block. She was still gaining control of it, and knew she accidentally sent out a wave of relief…  
Somehow, it seemed like Bucky understood it- not just the relief at his acceptance. He understood it all. The little hand squeezes, even the light tap- he put himself on her right side, so his left was always facing her. Somehow, he knew, she was sure.   
Her theory was cemented when she had kissed his cheek. She hadn’t meant to understand the small surge of emotion she had felt, but she simply forgot to put her wall up. She was comfortable with Bucky, and she knew now that Bucky felt much the same way. She felt his disdain for his metal arm, and the confused comfort he felt in her acceptance of it.  
Stepping out of the shower, Evie remained lost in thought as she readied for bed. She heard her two furry friends playing out in her living room, and smiled. Even as she was drifting off into sleep, her mind remained on the blue eyed, soft spoked super soldier she had grown quite fond of in the two days she had known him.

**Author's Note:**

> I'll try to update somewhat regularly, but my creativity wanes in and out quite frequently.


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